TOKYO: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday appointed Nikolai Nozdrev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Third Asian Department, as ambassador to Japan.

The post had been vacant since November 2022, when then Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin returned to Russia and became deputy foreign minister for the former Soviet bloc.

Over the Japan-Russia relations, Toyohisa Kozuki left office as Japanese ambassador to Russia last month after working in Moscow for eight years, the longest period for a Japanese ambassador there since the end of World War II, including the Soviet era.

He was succeeded by current Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto.

Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, while the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced a halt to bilateral negotiations to conclude a World War II peace treaty.

How to activate bilateral dialogue is a key issue to Japan.

Nozdrev joined the ministry after graduating from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, or MGIMO, in 1994. Specializing in Japanese, he served as deputy director of the Third Asian Department from 2015 and as director from 2018.

JIJI Press